


Free from the Cage

by Seaxereddington



Category: Banana Bus Squad
Genre: Alcohol, Bird/Human Hybrids, Blood and Injury, Gen, Government Experimentation, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Mercenaries, Self-Esteem Issues, Self-Hatred, Swearing, Torture, Violence, Winged Evan Fong
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-03
Updated: 2020-11-14
Packaged: 2021-03-09 00:27:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 12
Words: 12,055
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27365785
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Seaxereddington/pseuds/Seaxereddington
Summary: A boy grown as an experiment finally tastes the freedom as he is freed by the most unlikely people.The mercenaries who saved him ponder whether they could pull him into their world or let him dream of the fantasy he believed.Could they bring him to reality, and endanger him or do they put him out of his misery?
Relationships: Evan Fong & Everyone, Evan Fong & Jonathan | H2ODelirious
Comments: 6
Kudos: 20





	1. Caged Hybrid

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [What Remains](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15364443) by [Skullszeyes](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skullszeyes/pseuds/Skullszeyes). 



> Based of a fic I read that was amazing. (I hope the author is okay, get well soon!), and I'm really sorry if it's too similar, you can tell me to get rid of it. I've wanted to do it a little different, because I kind of feel Vanoss developed a little too quickly, but it was great.

For as long as he could remember, the boy had lived in a cage while men and woman clad in all white would do things. He didn't understand much, only that the things they were doing felt weird. He didn't like the feeling. He would later learn it was pain he felt. They would make noises, but unlike him, they were different. He would also come to learn that they spoke words, and that he shouldn't make a sound. 

The boy didn't know anything about himself. He didn't know much, but there was a kind woman who would give him books in his cage. The metals bars that locked him and his wings. The boy has wings on his back, barely reaching to his knees. It wasn't normal, he realised. None of the other people had any, he was the only one. 

The kind woman returned with a smile, more books in hand. He smiled, having finished the ones she already gave him. The woman had dark haired like his, reaching to her shoulder, with large, chocolate eyes. They were soft and kind. They had emotion, unlike the ones who were clad in all white. They only galred in disgust, or pity or nothing. She wore soft pink instead of the white white he came to hate. The room was white, with bright lights.

She taught him how to read and talk, but he learned not to talk to the other people. They didn't want him speaking, they only wanted him to obey. Harsh punishment taught him to never disobey. One day, the kind woman came in, no books in hand but tears filling her eyes instead. They were sad. She knelt down and placed her small hands on his cheeks, skin rough and dirty, "I'm so sorry, Evan, I love you...", were her last words, along with a kiss on his nose before she left and never came back. 

The boy cried for the first time, crying and yelling for her to come back. He wanted to leave with her, to see the sky and feel the wind on his skin. To feel the warmth of the sun, and the concrete on the floor. To see and touch all the greenery the books had depicted to him. They forced him quiet, and he went back to obeying them, without the joy of the true light he once had. 

Come to think of it, what was an Evan? The woman had called him that, but he didn't ask what it meant. Later he would forget 'Evan' as a whole. Instead, he would focus on imagining the sun and wind. He was lonely. One day, the boy caught sight of a file one of the men. It said he was twelve, May 31st. From then on, the boy counted every year and kept hold of his age.

His wings grew larger as he grew older, and they started to push through the cage. They put a harness on his back, bones of the wings pushed to his back. It burned, it hurt, he screamed. They carried on experiments and often he was let out in front a group of people. They would take note of him, then return him to his cage. He thought if he ran, maybe he could leave. He could see the sky and feel the sun on his skin. He could escape and be free... But of course the boy was naive. 

They captured him with ease, and he would go days without food or water as consequence. To the brink of death, where all was hazy and all hurt. He would even yearn for the disgusting and tasteless food they fed him. He learned to deal with the constant pain on his back, wings pushed against in such a painful way. The boy only dreamed to live outside before he died. 

Today, he was twenty. And today, the facility would undergo a change they never expected. 


	2. Break In and Freedom

Dark hair ruffled in the wind, as the masked man sat on the edge of the roof. The intercom cackled, "Delirious? We're going, get your ass off the roof and come down", a voice grumbled in his ear. Delirious stood up with a groan, stretching before he joined. He walked into a room of 10 people, "Get ready and meet at WINGS' base", the man at the front ordered. They nodded and broke off. 

* * *

An explosion woke him from his fitful slumber. The winged man opened his eyes blearily to the ever present pain in his back and body. He sat up with difficulty, wings twitching and arms aching under his part of his weight. The harness was as tight as ever, pulling his wings against his back. His room was empty, just the familiar white of the room, and the cold metal biting into his feet. 

The only difference were the banging sounds, screams and footsteps coming from outside his room. A squad of soldiers arrived with handcuffs and a collar. They opened the gate and handcuffed him, as well as locking the collar in place before ruffly dragging him out. He hadn't had his meal, and the pain had disturbed his sleep greatly so he stumbled along. Their pulling hurt his bones further, but by now the winged man knew to keep quiet. 

The sounds grew louder, and he felt anxious. He wasn't thinking straight, but they let him go for a moment as a group of people rounded the corner and shot at them. The ravenette ran for it, he ran away. There was a sudden shock in his body, generating from his neck. He fell forwards with a gasp, writhing in pain as the electricity coursed through his veins. The current stopped, leaving him to pant harshly, as more gunshots passed by him. 

The hybrid stayed curled on the floor. Jonathan walked forward and examined the him, "What is he?!", he exclaimed in disbelief. Lui walked up next to him, before pulling out his phone and checking something. David walked by him, eyebrows raising in surprise, "Just what have they been doing here?". Lui sighed and pocketed his phone, "That's how we're looking for. Let's get him out of here". Tyler didn't miss the subtle hesitation in his leader's - That's what everyone unanimously called him, despite all the protests and debated around the subject) - eyes.

Tyler kicked over a remote as he walked by idly, holding his gun loosely. He frowned, picking it up and pressing a button. The blonde haired man heard a gasp from the hybrid on the floor. Brian noticed a collar on his neck, "Shock collar, to keep him in line", he muttered.

"I did see him try to run away. He suddenly fell over", David supplied. 

"What are you?", Jonathan narrowed his eyes, as though he tried to see through the hybrid.

"I don't know", he replied, voice hoarse and quiet. He winced, throat burning. 

"Damn, this thing is seriously on maximum capacity. They probably wanted to fry his vocal cords", Tyler scowled, seemingly annoyed, "Is it what we're extracting, Lui?". The dark and short haired man nodded, "Basically, get the chopper going. We're going now". The reply was sceptical, "You already got what we're looking for? In such a guarded base?". 

"Yeah", Lui turned to the others, "Delirious, get the hybrid. Let's go", Jonathan grumbled as the rest walked away, "Why me?".

"Just fucking do it man", Tyler responded as he walked by him. The mask wearing man huffed before walking over to the curled hybrid on the floor, "Hey? You alive?", he was met with a hesitant glance. "Get up", the hybrid gave him a glare.

Jonathan recognised the fear covered behind fake anger. He sighed, "Look, you don't want to be shocked again, right?", the hybrid abruptly sat up and frantically shook his head, maroon eyes wide, "Then get up and start walking". The pale skinned hybrid - most likely due to his lack of exposure to the sun - pushed himself up on shaking arms and legs, wincing. Jonathan pulled his arm over his shoulder and held him up. The hybrid let out a noise of shock, "You're taller than expected, so we can't carry you".

They walked in silence for a while, past still corpses and the crimson blood of those bodies, puddles and stains on the wall. The scent of iron filled his nose, but he didn't mind. It was better than the stuff he was injected with everyday. They stepped out, and the hybrid's eyes widened. There was a cold breeze against on his bear feet and face. There were white sparkly dots in the black sky. The night sky. Jonathan felt a small smile tug at his face when he saw the wonder in his eyes. A nostalgic feeling 

The feeling of wind in his wings pushed them out, but the harness held them back. He gasped at the pain and staggered. The ravenette besides him almost fell down with him, "Woah! Calm down, I get it's your first time...", his voice was strangely soft. Jonathan raked his eyes over the hybrid's wings, and the harness attached. Maybe he should cut it off? It didn't look comfortable...

The winged ravenette looked dumbly at the helicopter, eyes shining with wonder in the dark. The mask wearing mercenary sighed and pulled him onto the helicopter, showing the dubious hybrid how to fasten his seat belt. His wings were tight behind him, pushed even further. The ascent was bumpy, and made the winged man wince, arms reaching for something to hold. Jonathan gave him his hand, and he immediately relaxed, shoulders drooping and wings still twitching.

"How old is he?", the question had been on the tip of his tongue for a while. Lui answered him casually, though Marcel could see something in his eyes, even if he didn't know what. "From what I can tell, around twenty to twenty five years old". Jonathan was twenty five himself, he was still new to the business. Most of them were. 

"Around twenty and twenty five", he was still pretty young, how long had they kept him in their?

"I'm twenty", came the hoarse reply from the hybrid. Jonathan brought his eyes back to him, noticing how often his wings twitch and how he winced once they moved. "Tyler, you have a knife?", the blonde frowned, "Why?", he still offered the knife despite his confusion. The mask wearing ravenette was grateful for the mutual trust between them. He took the leather handle of the grey blade, formerly stained with red and started cutting the straps of harness. 

Brian stood up abruptly, "What are you doing?!", he grabbed Jonathan's arm, "What if he flies away?!". The raven haired hybrid flinched away from the two, wings extending a little. Lui shook his head, reading over some files, "No, I doubt it". He turned to the hybrid, "You don't know how to fly do you?", a shake of his head, "And that harness certainly isn't helping. Keep it off". Brian relented but kept a wary eye on him. 

The helicopter landed precisely on the 'H' on the concrete floor. Jonathan helped the hybrid out and into the house, still finding his wonder quite a amusing. He may have been an adult, but really to him the hybrid looked like a toddler, taking in the sights he had never seen - and probably yearned to see it from a young age. 


	3. The World

The mask wearing one gave him a white T-shirt with blue jeans, and a red, leather jacket that had one white stripe to go with it, "Here, wear this". The material was soft against the tip of his fingers. He traced the white stripe on the jacket with a smile, enjoying the feeling. He came across rips on the back, "So your wings can fit through. 

The hybrid nodded, and pulled his own shirt off. He struggled, until the masked one started helping him. Once in the clothes, the hybrid felt more comfortable than he ever had in his cage. There were no metal bars in his sight. No cold metal biting the soles of his feet. No harness holding his wings back, though he couldn't even extend them. It burned to even move his wings. 

"Are you hungry?", his stomach decided to rumble at that moment. He nodded. The raven head nodded and left, taking his mask off on the way. Another man came in, wearing a sunset tanktop and simple blue jeans, (Like his...), "Hey? How're you doing?", he had a tube in his hand. The hybrid shied away, eyes narrowed defensively and hands wrapped around himself, frowning. The short brown haired man smiled, "Don't worry. This is to help your wings, I'll be gentle". 

He nodded. The man patted his shoulder before carefully spreading the cream. He gasped at the cool substance, it felt nice. "There we go. Just let the cream settle for a while, I'll put more. Tell me if it hurts, we'll use a different one then". He nodded. They were so kind, so different. As the man left, the realisation of freedom slowly registered in his mind. Freedom...

He was free. He was finally out of the cage. A warm feeling filled his chest, a smile stretching on his lips, "What're you smiling about?", he flinched, dropping the smile. "Woah, calm down. I was only asking", it was the formerly masked man. He had pale skin and blue eyes. He held a plate of sandwiches, "Here". 

The hybrid took one carefully, examining it curiously, "I didn't poison it", the man chuckled. He ate it, relishing the taste and softness. "So, do you have a name?", the hybrid shook his head, "Hm". 

"Could I have a name like you?", his voice was still hoarse. "Yeah, sure", Jonathan got up and left, only to come back with a glass of water, "Your voice is dying". The hybrid took the glass gratefully, also examining it before gulping it down. Jonathan nodded and left, leaving the hybrid to his own devices when Lui called him. 

* * *

"So?", Marcel was sitting at the right of the table. Jonathan walked in to the group discussing, "When are we giving it in?". Lui shook his head, "No, we're not doing it". What?! There was a burst of outroar, "Why!?". Lui stayed quiet as everyone let out their anger and questions.

"It's only going to bring us more trouble!".

"Why us all of people? We're the worst examples for a baby chick like it."

"Weren't we giving him to another company? Won't they come after us?"

"Yes, yes these are all wonderful questions. But I can only answer one at a time", their leader calmly told them. ty. I have nothing against

The group quietened down, some grumbling while the others relented. Brian scowled, "He's going to be a liability. I have nothing against him, I actually feel quite sorry for him, but he's gonna drag us down".

Lui sighed, "Guys, us giving him away for money is the same as human trafficking. We don't do that here. And he's not a liability, if we could teach him how to fight as well as use his wings, he could probably be helpful to us. And yes our clients will come after us, but we're not breaking our morals. Besides, he still needs to learn. I don't think dumping him on the streets or simply selling him away would help".

Scotty leaned back in his chair, "Okaay, but since when did you have a heart Lui? And since when were we moralistic?". 

"Since always", the dark haired man replied. He ran a hand through his hair, "Look, we're not selling him. End of the question", there was a somber look in his eyes as he got up and left, "I don't want you all to end up like me", Tyler heard the mutter as clear as day. He watched warily as their leader left, while the rest went back to what they were doing.

Jonathan had decided to visit the hybrid again. He opened the door to his room, almost calling for it until he realised he was asleep. His wings were still pulled close to his back, twitching along with his face every so often. He slept on his stomach, hugging a pillow while the other cushioned his head, cover only covering up to his waist. He looked so peaceful, it was weirdly heartwarming. 

The blue eyed man never felt sympathy, or at least he held it back during his job. A boar that screamed and rammed into the gate that locked his guilt away. Everytime he shot someone it felt as though the gates were strengthening, but at times they would weaken. He would feel the guilt clench his heart, and it hurt. Jonathan was still new, he still clung to his old life by the last lifeline he had. 

The groaning startled him. The dark haired hybrid mumbled and shuffled a little. The sun had set, and the winged man probably hadn't had a proper shower since ages. "Hey, wake up", Jonathan shook his awake gently, "At least have a shower and brush your teeth. Bet you haven't done those in a while". He slowly sat up with bed ridden eyes and hair spiking up. Jonathan pulled him up, the hybrid still hunched with sleep clouding his mind. 

"Come on", this would be a long week, Jonathan thought as he dragged the hybrid, who was still half asleep, out of the room.


	4. Named

Brock was probably the nicest to the hybrid out of all of them. He was always like that to strangers, kinder in general then the rest of them despite their profession. It helped him keep his mind, and feel a little better. The brown haired man was currently applying medicine to the hybrid's wings, while humouring him and Jonathan.

"These are cars?", Jonathan sughed for the umpteenth time, feeling tired with how many questions the winged man had asked him. "Yes, they are". He nodded, chocolate eyes wide with wonder, "What we left in yesterday was a helicopter", the hybrid nodded. He was holding Jonathan's hand in fear for his wings, even thought Brock was trying his best to be gentle, (any type of touch probably hurts after everything they have been through).

"There we go, done", Brock sat next to the two. The hybrid let go of Jonathan's hand, "So, do you have a name?". he shook his head. "I see, didn't expect so. Is Delirious being good to you?", he asked jokingly. The blue eyed ravenette spluttered, "What do you mean me?! You should be asking about Terroriser!". There was a crash from upstairs, "Fuck's sake Nogla!". 

"It wasn't my fault".

"It was, you dolt! God, for fuck's sake". 

"It's just a game, chill out man". 

"I don't want to hear that from you Tyler!". 

The three listened to the rising argument, "This is ridiculous", Brock sighed and left to fix the argument while Jonathan keeled over from laughter, "See!? I'm more responsible than them!", the brown haired man sighed, "Sure, keep telling yourself that". Jonathan stopped laughing when the hybrid let out a shaky breath, shoulders heaving. _Trauma._ He wasn't surprised to know. The hybrid was an experiment to WINGS, they didn't care about his feelings. 

He was suddenly reminded of someone, her kind smile and blue eyes. He and Luke, along with his parents taking the photo... 

"Hey..", Jonathan placed a hand on the hybrids head, who flinched at the touch, "Calm down, you're not at the facility anymore. They're just being idiots". The hybrid nodded, taking a deep breaths. A silence settled, the only the sounds of a shouting Brian, David and Tyler arguing over something, or maybe it wasn't, and Brock's calm voice attempting to stop them. 

"Do you think I could have a name like you?", the hybrid asked throughout the shouting,

"Wildcat plus four. Draw the plus four!"

"No don't do it!."

Jonathan frowned, "A real name?". He shook his head, "No, a name like Delirious, and Moo". The blue eyed ravenette hummed, "Sure, if you can come up with one". He nodded. 

"I'm on it."

"God damn it", Brock laughed as Brian let out a frustrated groan and the other two cheered, "For once you did good Nogla", Tyler seemed pleased. David looked offended, "How dare you, I'm a master at UNO". Jonathan laughed to himself as he went to join them, "You guys playing UNO?", he leaned over Brian's shoulder, said man scowling at him, "Let me play too!".

"No. The last time that happened, I swore to never play with you again", he scowled. Jonathan pouted, "I'm a changed man from then! I will wipe their assess the next time", he declared proudly. 

"Sure, keep deluding yourself", came the snarky reply. 

The hybrid listened from downstairs, a smile quirking at his lips. He looked back at the magazine, the specific page seeming very intriguing to him. 

_Vanos..._

* * *

The hybrid shyly shuffled into the room, wings pulling against his wings to try and make him look small. Though they noticed him immediately, his wings making him stand out of everyone. "What's up", the one with short black and hair and some facial hair asked, in the middle of being strangled by the short blonde haired one. 

"Um.. UH", the dark haired winged man fiddled with the hem of his leather jacket, "I... Can I play too?". A silence settled among them. They stared blankly at him. He felt so stupid for asking. Bird brained idiot! Why even ask? You're interrupting them! "Um, I'm... Sorry, I'll just leave-". Brock grinned, "Sure. Do you know how to play? I can teach you". 

Brian let out a breath of relief, "Thank god, I can finally have a better partner than the dumbass clown". Jonathan growled, "You're the one making everything worse". 

"Yeah, because my first jump in lost us 20 bucks". 

"I didn't know he had a red three."

The hybrid laughed, watching Jonathan and Brian argue, thought it was more the former attempting to shutdown any accusations the latter screamed at him. Lui watched from afar with a fond smile, before turning away and sighing. David sat the hybrid on the chair, pulling the spine back for his wings, bringing another chair to sit next to him, "So the goal of the game is to get rid of all of your cards. You can cards of the same colour, or the same number". 

The hybrid nodded, eyes trained on the screen while Brian, Tyler and Jonathan joined him, "What's this?". 

"Oh, that's a plus 4. Play it, make Wildcat suffer", David advised seriously.

"No! Don't do it you piece of shit!?", Tyler protested to no avail as the hybrid clicked on the wold before the timer ran out. 

"Hey, have you thought of a name yet?", Jonathan asked from his table. 

The hybrid nodded, "Yeah...", all heads turned to him. He felt anxious, nerves eating at his chest and sweat building up quickly, "Um, Vanoss". 

They looked surprised, "Isn't that the valve of a car?", Ryan - who had just entered - asked dubiously. The hybrid nodded, "There was this woman, I don't remember her but she was kind to me...", he started fiddling with the material on his shirt, "She liked the variator system of that car, and I like... The name Vanoss". Ryan bit his lip, "Ohh, uh.... sorry". 

"It's fine, I don't really remember her."

"Well, Vanoss is a pretty cool name", Anthony supplied with a half smile, trying to lighten the mood. Brock nodded, "Well, Vanoss it is."

"Don't regret the name, we're calling you that for eternity", David chuckled at the fuming Tyler.

"It seemed like a good name at the time! Stop calling me that! I have a name idiot", the blonde muttered. 

Brian shook his head with a smirk on his face, "Nah, last time I remembered you specifically told us to call you that. And Lui told us to get used to them, no one can know our real names, Besides", he shrugged, "Knowing Nogla he's gonna blurt it out at the worst times."

They laughed together while David looked offended, "I would not!"

Vanoss laughed along them, jaw hurting from having done so for the first time in forever. 


	5. Usefulness

"Aim at the red circle on the target", Vanoss held the gun as steadily as he could, hands shaking a little, "Calm down, and pull the trigger". The winged man took small breaths, eyes narrowing as his hands shook more, "Take in deep breaths, and steady your hands".

Brian stood by him. Vanoss took a deep breath, letting the air fill his lungs, hands steady. He pulled the trigger, and the bullet ripped through the middle red circle. The fifth shot, closer to any of the previous ones. "Not bad", Brian clapped with a smirk, making Vanoss smile, feeling proud of himself, "For your first time", the light maroon haired man patted Vanoss on the back, said man falling forward slightly from the unexpected strength. 

"At this rate you'll be joining us on missions as useful baggage", he nodded to himself. Brock peeked his head from the door, "Vanoss? We'll be checking your wings now, if you don't mind", he called. Vanoss's hands started shaking, fear bubbling under his heart. He walked stiffly after Brock, hands shivering by his sides again. He kept a strong face, letting out a shaky breath.

Brian watched him with pity. The poor guy had been through experiments his whole life, made to never make it outside, to die as a prototype, or at least Lui had said. He didn't think he could live through all of that himself, if he had known what a normal life was. The hybrid was lucky to have been born into them, even though it sucked

* * *

"Don't worry, we just wanna know how your wings are doing. They seem slightly better, but we need to make sure", Brock told him gently as he sat him on the stool. Vanoss nodded, still feeling a little weary. Marcel started checking up, shining a torch and gently feeling the feathers, as well as bone. Vanoss flinched at the touch, hands shaking on his lap. 

Brock squeezed his shoulder, giving him an apologetic smile, "Just a little longer, alright?". The winged ravenette nodded hesitantly, taking in quiet but deep breaths. Marcel stepped back with a frown, "They're in pretty bad shape. How long have you had that harness for? It's completely messed up your bone structure, and your wings haven't been getting the treatment they need", he grimaced. 

Vanoss sighed, hunching up his shoulders, "Can you push them out?". The winged man bit his lip, attempting to do so, but a burning pain spread from his back, like lava poured across his back. He gasped and pulled his wings back, tears streaming down his face. Vanoss had fallen to the floor, writhing from the pain in his back. Brock rubbed a soothing hand on his back while whispering hushed words, frowning along with the others.

"Can he even fly with wings like that?", Brian looked at the golden and dark brown feathers that had fallen. Often the hybrid shed feathers and new ones grew in place, leaving the fallen ones in a trail. Marcel shrugged, "He might, but it will be difficult, considering the pain he feels when just attempting to extend his wings". 

Lui watched afar, eyes blank as h e pondered. Tyler watched his carefully. He hadn't known much about Lui when he first joined, but he certainly knew him the longest. Jonathan looked at Vanoss with pitying eyes, to think that after all the pain he went through, he wouldn't even get to fly, it must be bittersweet. And the hybrid probably doesn't even know. 

* * *

Brian regretted teaching Vanoss how to troll and play. He regretted it so bad, but it was worth the pain and suffering it caused his teammates. The hybrid often didn't know what he was doing when he first played, which led the team to not blame him for any mistakes he made. And Brian taught him how to use that as an advantage to ruin everyone else's play. And now Vanoss was merciless, though a few times it was still an accident. 

Games together was a sort of escape from the reality they all lived in now. All of them were outcasts from society, they could never get their places back. So they found this place and joined. Brian doesn't know much about the more experienced members, like Lui and Tyler, but they were definitely different from the rest. "Shut the fuck up!!!!", David smacked the table, face scrunched up on anger and eyes flaring with rage.

Brian snorted, despite his thoughts, "Sorry, I didn't realise", Vanoss told him apologetically, thought Brian could see the smile on his face. He sighed, _What has he done?_ Brian pressed the red button, letting out a loud noise from the game. He heard a groan from Brock and more shouts from David, "STOP!!", he started laughing as the dark haired man started shouting at them. 

"Next person who presses the buzzer-". The loud buzz chimed from their laptops and consoles. There was a silence filled with silent giggles and snickers, "Brian I will break your soundboard you fuck", David growled. Brian spluttered, "Wha- why me!? I've been helping you the whole time!", he rebutted, laughter bubbling in his voice. 

"No, don't deny it, I can hear the laugh in your voice", David sighed deeply, feeling frustrated beyond no end. Vanoss laughed along with them, and Lui felt a soft smile grow on his face. 

* * *

The monitors hummed quietly in the background, artificial light filling the dark room. "I think they've found, we're going to have to evacuate". What? They? Vanoss frowned, who were they? Who did they come for? 

"They've finally come to reclaim Vanoss, and they're preparing an ambush". They came for him? _He caused this?_ They had been so nice, and he caused more problems for them. Vanoss kept his head down in shame, guilt weighing down on his weak shoulders. The hybrid had started working on them, but the weight of the wings were heavy enough as it is. 

Doing push ups along with the rest was impossible. He could only do ten before collapsing, breathing out ragged breaths. Sit ups were impossible, not with the feathered bone on his back. He could barely pull himself up. The wings made it much harder to run fast. And to top it all off, he couldn't even fly. He couldn't do what wings dictated they do, and only caused more baggage.

"Hey, Vanoss", he looked up to meet Lui's calm eyes. The ravenette had expected anger or annoyance at the very least, but there was something soft in his dark eyes. Something that made him feel warm. "We did this of our choice. You're not at fault", the leader told him sternly. Tyler chuckled, "Yeah, otherwise I would have already been at your throat, or maybe Lui", he joked. Vanoss felt a shiver dance up and down his spine, mouth pulled into a fearful frown. 

"Delirious, you're taking Vanoss to F7. Are you gonna need someone?", the masked man shook his head, what was probably a pout Vanoss guessed on his face, "Course not! I'm capable enough". Lui nodded, "Tyler, Marcel, Scotty and I will hold them off, and the rest of you will go to the new base.", They nodded. 

"Yes sir!". 


	6. Escape and Wings

They were driving away while the others stayed back, and another car drove in the opposite direction. The gun fire was directed away from, explosions sounding in the distance. Vanoss pressed his face to the pane of glass, "Will they be okay?", he asked, the worried tone clear in his voice. "Yeah, they will", Jonathan reassured with a monotone voice. 

The hybrid nodded, and deciding to watch the passing, green scenery with wonder, "It's beautiful, isn't it?", Jonathan supplied, an amused smile forming on his lips. "Yeah...", it was amazing. It was wonderful. It felt so surreal, something like a never ending dream. But he could see the scenery. He could smell the plants, taste delicious food and smell the aromas that made his mouth water. He could touch leaves and soft cloths, wear comfortable clothing and sleep on a mattress. 

It felt all felt surreal, but real at the same time. It was reality. Vanoss never felt so happy in his life, never so free. The car finally pulled over after a long ride, the sun have already set for the soft shine of the moon to hang over them, clouded with dark grey clouds and the night sky. The stars were out, looking like little sprinkles, they were pretty... 

"Come on", Jonathan beckoned him towards a old warehouse, in good shape but certainly old. Dust blanketed almost every corner, the paint chipped off the wood. But the material stood strong and tall. There was an old, burgundy couch, (Or maybe it was maroon? He couldn't tell with how worn the colour was, even if the material was fine). 

Jonathan took off his mask and jumper, before laying down on the couch, blue jumper left by his head. "Are you trying to sleep?", Vanoss sat down besides him, taking the worn out blue jumper into his hands. He let his fingers run across the slightly stiff but soft material. "We won't have much time until they arrive, so don't make yourself comfortable", he shifted, trying to get into a more comfortable position.

After a while (Maybe an hour or so), he gave up and sat up, only to end up with a lapful of a sleeping Vanoss. The hybrid was clutching onto his blue jumper, snoozing softly on Jonathan's shoulder. How could he sleep like that? Especially with those wings. Said wings were flapping every few minutes, the hybrid's face scrunching up when it happened. They were still pulled onto his back, folded harshly against his back. 

The blue eyed ravenette layed Vanoss on his stomach, before feeling one of the brown feathers under his fingertips. They felt like softest material he'd ever felt, smooth, bending perfectly under his touch. Vanoss whined a little under the touch, shivering away slightly. He pulled his hand away and sighed, running a gentle hand through his spiked up hair, feeling the winged ravenette lean closer to the touch. 

_We'll definitely need to make use of those wings one day..._

* * *

"I can't!", Vanoss whimpered, tears filling his eyes. Jonathan shook his shoulder, "You can! Spread your wings!", the hybrid let out shuddering breaths as his wings forcefully pushed themselves out. The pain was lava and knives on his backs, digging through his skin and bones. He fell to his knees, clutching the blue eyed man's arms in a death grip, though it was weak to him.

He pushed his wings further out, the pain burning even more. "Come on Vanoss! If you're gonna be useful, you're gonna need to use your wings". He wanted to be useful. He didn't want to drag them down, he couldn't afford to. He pushed his wings as far as he could. The feathers stretched and rose. It looked majestic to Jonathan, golden brown shining in the sun and the shadowed dark brown rising. They shook before returning to their harshly folded state against his back. 

Vanoss collapsed onto Jonathan, who caught him with ease due to his light weight, (Though the wings certainly added on baggage, for now at least). The hybrid was panting, face scrunched up in pain, tears streaming down his pale face. Jonathan wiped them away with gentle hands, "Hey, hey look at me", he did, "You did good. That's good progress, alright?". 

He nodded, slowing his ragged breaths. The ravenette collapsed onto him, completely out cold. It was warranted, since Jonathan had pushed him above his limits, but he didn't want him to be a liability. The ravenette wouldn't hesitate to throw him out if he was useless to them... This job required no sympathy, he didn't have time for that. 

A car stopped by with a 'screech', tires rubbing against the floor harshly and blowing a cloud of dust in its wake. "Hey, how're you doing?", Tyler open the door and jumped out, along with Lui, Marcel and Scott. "We're doing fine, you guys seem fine", he grimaced at the wound on Scott's arm, blood freely leaking from his arm, "Most of you". 

Lui eyed the hybrid out cold on the floor on his way to the inside, leading Scott to the table, "What did you do to him?", Tyler asked in slight disbelief. Jonathan shrugged, "Just trained him. He's gonna have to be useful if we're keeping him."

Lui tended to Scott's arm, tying the bandage gently, "He'll be fine. Not everyone was perfect when they joined". Tyler snickered, "Yeah, we're talking to you Delirious". Jonathan grumbled under his breath, pulling the hybrid up, "Hey Vanoss, get up", he gently slapped his face, "Wake up". Vanoss slowly opened his marron eyes, sleep clouding them, "What?". 


	7. Betrayal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm hoping to finish this quick because I do have another idea I'm dying to write out, and that one will definitely not end well.

"What is it?", the short dark haired male raised an eyebrow at Jonathan who had a somber shine in his eyes, "What is it Delirious? We'll be going soon, so I'd rather you tell me now than later". He bit his lip, "I'm thinking we ditch him".

Lui raised an eyebrow, "Sooner or later they'll come with a force too strong for us, and we'll be taken out. I say we ditch him before everyone gets too comfortable with him."

The leader eyed him carefully, "Are you sure this is what you want?", he asked, tone low. 

* * *

"Come on, we'll be going a different route, so they don't find us", something was wrong with Jonathan. His voice was low, sad. He refused to make eye contact. It wasn't too different from the usual, but it was at the same time. It felt forced, pained.

Vanoss followed him nonetheless, ignoring the pit of dread forming in his stomach. He felt nervous, scared, like something would happen to him. But seeing Jonathan in front of him gave him a sort of relief he could cling to. 

Hang on to when he needed to, something he could smoke at and someone he could trust. He felt safe, for the first time he realised it. He felt safe with all of them. He felt happy. Joyous when they played all the games together. Had dinner, breakfast or lunch together. Planned things together...

So why couldn't he shake the fear in his heart? "Delirious?", the man didn't even turn, a permanent frown set in his face, "Where are we going exactly?".

"The car's in the alley, where no one knows", there something off with his tone. He didn't believe it, but he wanted to. The hybrid wanted to trust Delirious, with his life even.

They walked in silence, echoes of their shoes hitting the hard, cold concrete floor leaving chills in his bones. The quiet sounds were like horns in his ears, defeating despite their usual insignificance to him daily. He didn't understand why he felt this way. 

Vanoss still didn't know much, he was still new to the world. He wanted to learn everything with them. He didn't want to drag them down. 

They reached the end of their silent journey. His heart was restricted of its short lived relief when the darkness seemed to shroud them. Suddenly he was on his knees with a gun xoxjed to the back of his head, "Hands where I can see them." 

A clap echoed. Along with another. And more. Slow, taunting claps. A vehicle came to view, a helicopter, (Like the one they escaped in). A man in a suit, along with several, came out. The one who clapped gave a wry smirk, "Thank you. We really didn't want to deal with you lot right now, and we wouldn't afford to hurt our prize." 

What was going on? What? The cold barrel of the gun pushed his head, "Hands up", Jonathan ordered in a monotone voice. His blue eyes were icy behind his mask. He could feel the glare, the frown. The cold hate... 

Why? "Wha..", the man walked over, along with two of his subordinates who had a familiar harness in their hands, "No... Please no!", he begged stepping up and walking back. Two others caught him and he struggled desperately, tears forming in his maroon irises. 

"Delirious! Help! Please!", the pleas fell deaf on his ears. The man simply stood silent, eyes down cast, glaring at the floor. A metal hit the back of his head hard, enough to temporarily blur his sight. He fell to the ground with a harsh splat. The feeling of the harness being strapped on him had him screaming when the familiar pulled at his back. 

His wings had only started pushing themselves out. They pulled him out and dragged him away. Somewhere in his blurry mind, Vanoss called for the last thing he remembered, "Jonathan!". 

His freedom was short lived. 

* * *

_I thought what we had was unbreakable but I guess I was wrong._

_Sorry Vanoss..._

_The cries and pleas echoed in his mind for days._

_"Jonathan!"_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And yes those last words were from "Corners of my mind", by emotional oranges (?), I only heard it through the Vanossgaming outros, but it's really calming and also painful to listen to. But it's beautiful, kind of reminds me of the group right now.


	8. Memories and guilt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if the fic seems rushed, I have an idea I really want to write soon, but I don't want to abandon this fic, as this also represents something to me that I'll elaborate on at the end.

It hurts.

Vanoss woke up to a blinding light and cold air. He winced, immediately shutting his eyes on reflect when the bright, artificial light hit his eyes. The cold breeze made him shiver, "Finally awake huh? Took a while sleeping beauty", a low voice grumbled. He looked up once his eyes adjusted, though it still hurt and he was sure he could feel a headache build up at the back of his head.

One of the men that had taken him, reading a newspaper. Jona- Delirious had betrayed him. He could him out, He was back in his cage, wings pulled back by the harness. The familiar pain stung his back constantly, like it always did. Just when he had started to stretch them out. Just when he had gained freedom. Just when he thought he could trust someone...

They didn't want him, he was a liability. They didn't need him, and he didn't need them. He would get out alone and live free. All on his own, he didn't need them! The cage felt so restrictive after the open space he had been so free. He felt claustrophobic even... Felt so small in the cage, so trapped, like a bird on a metal birdcage. 

The hybrid missed the kind woman. She left when he was young. She was kind to him, but she left. She cried with a smile. She taught and loved him... At least he thought. That was love right? He wasn't so sure anymore. He wasn't sure of anything, all he knew... Is that he wanted freedom again.

The door opened after a few hours, a sweet and warm aroma filling the room. It made his mouth water, stomach growling in hunger. The man who had spoken came him with a wry smile, "Hello there", he walked over with a tray of food, and placed it down in front of him. He could reach for it, but he didn't trust it. Despite the delicious scent and good looking presentation.

"Go on, there's nothing with it wrong I swear", the man urged. He cautiously reached for the utensils, and brought the steaming food to his mouth. Rich flavours exploded in his mouth, and he felt some of his anger simmer. The ravenette hybrid ate greedily, savouring each a=marvelous bite while the man spoke, "My name is Adam, I'm only here to keep you away from those monsters", they were indeed, "Giving you up like property. We only need to get rid of them, and you can help."

He didn't want to. As much as he wanted to say so, he couldn't steel his mind to hurt them. Not the rest of them at least... Only Delirious. "Just answer some questions for me, and then we'll use you as bait", Adam's smile twisted into something terrifying, crooked teeth showing. He cringed, "Aw, don't be scared. We won't hurt you, as long as you listen. Look", he got up and walked behind Vanoss, knife in hand. 

The hybrid flinched back, but the man simply cut his harness, "We won't force you to wear that harness. What a waste of wings that would". He swallowed the last bit of food, keeping his eyes trained on the suit wearing man silently. The door of the cage swung open, and the men placed handcuffs on his hands before roughly dragging him out, "Hey, be gentle. We can't damage our prized possession."

Vanoss scowled, "I'm not your possession", he snapped back. Adam laughed, "Oh really?", the man before him chuckled condescendingly. They led him to an office, just as dark as the whole building with dim lights barely decorating the room. A lone desk with two chairs sat in front of him. They left him alone with Adam, to which the man pointed at a chair, "I'm sure you don't want to stand, so sit", he did so, "Now, I want you to tell me how many members there are."

Lui, Brian, Marcel, Scott, David, Tyler, Brock, Anthony and Jonathan. Nine members in total, "I don't know, didn't meet all of them"< he supplied glumly. The fact that they had betrayed him still hadn't sunk. It felt so surreal again, as though it was only a realistic dream, or nightmare. They didn't want him, but a part of him refused to believe so.

"This is gonna take a while isn't it?", Adam sighed. 

* * *

It hurt. 

Jonathan downed another glass of the strongest beverage they had, but it was bland and useless. It only burned his throat and worsened the painful, gut wrenching feeling in his stomach. The blue eyed ravenette was currently laying on a couch, hands clutching onto a glass and bottle of alcohol. 

_"Jonathan!"_

The scream would play iver like a broken tape on his mind, Vanoss's panicked face etched into his mind forever. He wanted to forget, but the memories only resurfaced stronger with every gulp. The room was dark, curtains closed and holding back the blinding light. The red curtains left a blood red dim to the room. Lui walked in, grimacing at the abundant smell of alcohol, "Delirious? How long are you gonna mope around for? You're the one who made the decision", the leader sat besides him.

Jonathan didn't even want to see his face, he didn't want to see the disappointment or anger. He was disappointed enough he felt something for Vanoss- The hybrid, but it only worsened when he realised how much he regretted the decision. "What?", he responded grumpily, voice low and sore from the burning drink. Jonathan allowed his cerulean eyes to look at Lui's gace. He was surprised to see a simple sad smile, "People make mistakes, and I'm pretty sure you made the biggest one so far. The whole crew was so pissed, especially Brian", he chuckled, remembering the man throwing an anger tantrum.

"...", he wanted to deny that. He wanted to be happy they weren't chased anymore. They were free from WINGS and MIND, but no matter what he told himself, the guilt would always crush him, weighing him down like the Earth. "... Yeah, next time I make such a decision, punch me in the face", Jonathan groaned, bringing a hand to hide his eyes. Lui laughed, "Will do."

He stood up, "Come on, let's go get our team mate back."

Lui was always so weird. He didn't know anything about him, only that he saved all of them with the job he offered them. But shroud of mysteries that was their leader, there was something he could trust genuinely. Jonathan got up and followed shakily after him, alcohol finally taking its toll on his body.

"Yeah."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed!


	9. Taking Flight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do do things intentionally, since it is written in a way that implies it's either Vanoss's or Delirious's point of view.  
> For example, the past chapter or so, he goes from calling Delirious 'Jonathan' in his mind to 'Delirious', because he hates him for what's he done mhe doesn't trust him anymore.  
> But this chapter he unconsciously calls him Jonathan because deep inside, despite the betrayal, he believes they'll come back for him. He wants to keep trusting them, and in the pain he's in let's the hope take a hold of him mind.

"You've only been with them for a couple of weeks, and you're already suffering from stockholm syndrome?", Adam grumbled under his breath. He had spent about three hours attempting dry Vanoss of any information he had, but he had either refused to say or genuinely hadn't know anything. The hybrid had given him vague ir useless answers, and he was about to give up. 

Adam relented, leaning back on his chair, "Alright, that's enough for today. Bring him back to his room", he ordered the men in the room. They led him back and practically threw him into the metal cage. He winced and gasped, pain flaring. It would be another day before the man would return. He undid the cuffs on his hands, growling about, "He's not scared, just a prick."

That brought a small smile to his face. Brian had taught him that other's anger certainly brought joy. Vanoss eyed the room around him in boredom, holding back grunts of pain. There was a man close to him, with a gun... He could probably grab his gun from his holster and threaten them... While Adam wasn't paying attention, Vanoss reached for the guard's gun and yanked it out as fast as he could. He shot the man in the head, and caught the key that he held. 

The leader of MIND turned, shock turned into fear, (Oh how Vanoss wanted to save that face into his mind forever. He was glad to see the usual smirk turned into a fear grimace), "WHAT!?". The hybrid quickly unlocked the cage and jumped out, legs aching under his weight. He stumbled a little but quickly regained his balance and took aim. The barrel aimed for Adam's heart, "Don't move", he warned, slowly moving closer to the open window where most of the light came from.

"Now, now", the dark haired man started. His smile was forced and wavering, but still there. Something felt wrong to Vanoss, but he ignore it as he climbed onto the window cill. Just as he prepared to jump, a gunshot rang in his ears and the room. Pain blossomed in his side, warm liquid soaking his clothes. The pungent smell of metallic blood filled his nose, making him feel sick. 

The pain was unbearable. He turned back to see Adam's sadistic smile, grinning as if christmas had arrived early. He fell out of the window and clutched his wound. The wind pushed his wings out and forced them out. He gritted his teeth and stretched his wings, allowing the wind to carry him. He was gliding, the cool breeze rushing by him. It felt so nice. The pain was burning, but the wind seemed to cool it down as he flew away. 

He felt so free again, like a bird. The ground was so far away, moving past so fast like the scenery that flashed by him, tall trees blurring past along with buildings. He slowly reached the floor before crash landing. 

The wound on his side flared up, making him gasp. He forced himself onto shaky hands and feet, gun still glued to his palms. A shadow blocked his peripherals from the blinding sun. 

The familiar hockey mask and azure eyes stared him down softly, "What do you want", he growled out lowly. "Here to just throw me again aren't you?", the pain returned like a brick to the head, another ache throbbing in his heart. 

He stood up legs shivering and body aching. Breathing out harsh puffs, panting for air. Jonathan came closer, and he aimed the gun. The cold barrel touched Jonathan's mask, but the man simple took the gun from his weak grip. He took of his mask and gave him a gentle but wry smile, "I'm sorry." 

... That doesn't fix anything. "How can I believe that?", gunshots and expo sions sounded around them, but he couldn't hear a single one. "I know. I'm horrible, I'm a monster. I gave you away."

"... You did".

And yet Vanoss still believed in him. He didn't understand why, but he wanted Jonathan and the rest to save him. He hated him, but he wanted him here. He was relieved to see the familiar face.

"I've lost your trust. I hurt you", he continued, walking closer. His smile fell and his eyes sombered. "but I want to regain that trust. I want to heal that wound. Giving you away was my biggest mistake, and I'm sorry", he pulled Vanoss into a tight embrace. 

His legs gave out, collapsing onto the man, "I'll make it up to you. It won't be easy, but you can trust me. I promise", he whispered gently into his ear. Warmth flooded his heart, but he didn't believe him, (He told himself). 

The hybrid weakly tried to push him away, letting out ragged breaths, "... I don't need your help. You didn't need me, and now I don't need you. Leave me alone", the cold tone made Jonathan flinched. 

Guilt pinched his heart, but the ache in his wounds pulled into onto his knees. Jonathan pulled an over his shoulder, "I get it. But at least, let me help you live and escape", Brock came over and grabbed his other arm. 

"Hey there, you look like you've seen better days", he joked with a gentle smile. Vanoss grumbled weakly and tried to pull away. His body didn't even listen to any commands anymore, "I don't... Need you", the raven haired man protested. 

"But we'll still be here for you. Its our apology for giving you up", Brock replied. "Even if it was all Delirious". Said man squawked, "I said I was sorry man!", he replied indignantly. The brown haired man chuckled, "I know." 

His vision slowly blurred until it went black all together, but he remembered smiling a little, warmth pooling in his heart. 

* * *

_"DELIRIOUS YOU BASTARD!", Brian grabbed him by the collar and pushed him against a wall. He snarled, eyes ablazed, "What the hell did you do!?". Jonathan stayed quiet, eyes downcast away from theirs._

_"Answer me!", Lui sighed and pulled Brian away, "Calm down", he told him sternly. The blondish brown haired man growled but relented, leaning back where he was on the bleached walls._

_The room was silent, all members tense. Jonathan took his mask and put on, leaving the room in silence. "Hey!", Tyler called after him, "Don't think you can get out of this without an explanation!", he was ignored as the door slammed shut._

_David say down with a ragged sigh, "Why? I don't understand. He was a perfect member", his eyes shined with a sad light. Brock nodded, sharing the sentiment. Scott sipped his drink absently, feeling the tension only rise._

_He didn't understand either. Anthony besides him was eating some pancakes, seemingly uncaring but anyone could see his clenched hands teeth, "I don't get why he would give him away."_

_"Lui", said man turned to where his name was called. Marcel have him a glare, "Did you know? I doubt Delirious would be able to do something without permission". Lui stayed silent, then nodded, "I wanted to check something, but it seems like Delirious's attempt was in vain"._

_Brian banged his fist on the table, "What do you mean!? You were gonna let him rot in those disgusting bastards' hands!". David placed a hand on his shoulder and pulled him back a little, noticing the heat rising. Tyler shook his head, "I don't understand what's going on."_

_"I wanted him to realise what you all have already, since he was still pretty new. That applies to you as Brian, David and Brock", the three in question looked up. Brock raised an eyebrow, David frowned and Brian relented, "What do you mean?". Lui sat down on a chair at the round table, "We lost someone before, Craig left us. And everyone from then knows what it's like, But you guys didn't. Delirious was naive, and I want him and all of you to learn from his mistake."_

_"Get ready, because we'll be storming MIND and taking back our comrade."_


	10. Sacrifice

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think it's almost finished, just a few more chapters.

Lui sighed, standing over Adam who kept a straight face, sweat collecting on his face. "So? Wanna tell us something?", the man growled, voice shaking a little. Tyler bit his lip, "I'd leave if I were you. I'll stay with him", David opened his mouth to protest, but Marcel and Scotty pulled him, "Trust me. You don't wanna see this". The door shut. 

"Lui may seem nice, but his torture methods are the worst", screams erupted from the room. They echoed in the hall eerily. David felt a shiver run up and down his spine. 

* * *

Brock laid the hybrid on the seats of the armoured bus, quickly working through the wound and bandaging it up. Vanoss winced, wings pressed on his back but remained unconscious. He wrapped the gauze before turning over and moving back to Brian and Jonathan, "How's everything going?", he asked in a serious tone. Brian growled, "Just great! Fucking great!", he replied irritably. 

Jonathan aimed his rifle and shot at the chasing vehicles behind them, "Kinda reminds me of GTA", he commented, focusing carefully on the cars and vans chasing them. Brock pulled the pin of a grenade, the military green leather scratching his skin, then threw it at one of the vans. A couple seconds went by, "Moo, you sure you hit it?", Jonathan laughed from his side. 

"Shut up! I know I hit!", he whined back, having taken a gun and starting to fire at the enemy. Vanoss came to his sense slowly, blurred sight slowly clearing while the aches and pains started becoming more prominent. He grunted as he pushed himself up, feeling his sides flare up in pain, "Ow". The men, excluding Brian who was driving and shooting, (He had to admit that was impressive), turned back to him, "You awake? Well buckle up because we're getting chased by hell!", Brian shouted from his seat.

They took sharp turns and sped dangerously fast. He had to clutch the seats with a death grip to stay upright. They came to an abrupt halt, throwing them off their feet. He gasped at the burst of pain in his side, gritting his teeth. "Damn, they've cut us off". He looked outside to see a barricade of cars and vans. Soldiers stood around them with guns pointed at their bus. A woman with blonde hair and amber eyes gave them a gentle smile, before pointing her hand forward, "Remember , we only want the hybrid."

They let out a torrent of bullets. The tires popped as the bullets pierced them. The bus deflated, and Vanoss felt guilt wrack him. Brock winced as a bullet shot through his arm. Brian fell to the floor when a bullet went through his leg. Blood leaked profu

_'They're here for me... They wouldn't be here if it weren't for me'._

He was still mad at Jonathan, but he wanted them to escape. Taking a gun, he walked with, (what he thought might be his last words to them), "Get a car while they're distracted and call for backup."

"What are you saying?! We're not leaving you again!", Jonathan grabbed his arm, but he wrenched it free and walked out. He started shooting at the soldiers, "NOW!", there was an empty and still functioning car free for them to steal. Brock pulled Jonathan and Brian out, sprinting to the car. They got in as another car drove in, "WHAT UP MOTHERFUCKERS!", Tyler's familiar and loud voice shouted. 

"Tyler! Pull back!", Brock warned as he started driving off, torrents of bullets digging into the metal of their cars. Vanoss watched as they drove off, only hoping they would come back for him. He finished clip after clip until there were none left. The woman gave him a smile, so fake he could've gagged, "Well then, it seems as there's nothing left for you but to come with us. Of course, unless you want to struggle. Be my guest, but you'll only hurt yourself", she warned sweetly, so sickeningly sweet like honey. 

He sighed, putting his hands up as the gun dropped from his grip, "That's much better", she told him as the soldiers handcuffed and brought him away. 

* * *

"So they've already gotten to him?", Brock nodded, nursing ther bandaid on his arm. Brian laid back on the chair, leg propped up by a chair and cushion. "Yeah, sorry. We got ambushed pretty badly, pretty sure they had a tracker on him. Poor guy probably didn't' even know", the brown haired man lamented. Lui placed a hand on his shoulder, "It's fine", he held up a screen with a red dot on it, "We have the coordinates anyways."

Tyler cocked his gun, along with the others, who could move, "Come on! Let's go already!". 

Lui grinned, "Sure."


	11. True Freedom

Somewhere along the way, Vanoss found himself losing conscious, trapped in a black void with nothing but himself. A woman, with a familiar kind smile and matching soft eyes, held his hands. "I'm so proud of you", she whispered gently, holding him tightly, "I love you so much". She slowly moved away from him and disappeared into the never ending darkness. 

"Wait!", he called after her, reaching for her small hands, but she was already gone. 

He woke up to a pristine, cold white floor. The pain had faded, becoming just another dull sting somewhere in his mind. "Ah, you're awake. How're you doing? I wouldn't want my prized possession to be doing bad". He growled, how many times did he need to say he wasn't a possession before people started listening, "I'm not anyone's possession. I'm my own person", he retorted, feeling anger slowly cloud his mind. 

She smiled again, (It was disgusting to look at despite the gentle and sweetness of it), "Think what you like, but you were only a prototype that made it farther than we expected. At this rate, I believe you really will be able to fly". He looked down. It did seem possible. The harness no longer held him back, and his wings slowly adjusted themselves to stretch further until they could finally let the wind carry them without pain. 

As if reading his mind, she continued his train of thought, "Which is why it would be a waste to ruin those little wings wouldn't be? Obey us and we'll keep them safe", she called over some of her subordinates who pulled him up dragged him away. 

For while, he simply sat in the room, cold and alone. Quite hungry too. Maybe they wouldn't come, his mind supplied in the deafening silence. Maybe they would leave him behind like last time. He was only a prototype that wasn't supposed to make it far. Even though he did... All Vanoss ever wanted, was the freedom the books spoke of. The love the woman showed him. The warmth _they_ taught him. 

He wanted all of this to end. If only he didn't have those stupid wings, he could have been free. He could have lived a normal life with parents and friends. He could've gone to school and graduated. Learned from teachers and mistakes, joke around and enjoy himself. And yet, these wings that had taken everything from him were useless. They were a part of him. They were his being surrounded. He only existed for his wings, no one cared about him. No one cared about Vanoss.

The hybrid could only look up at the light and believe they did. That they would come and show him he was wrong. That Jonathan would keep his promise. So he could forgive and trust him again. 

* * *

A doctor in a white coat, (Just like the ones from before. They were so emotionless one could mistake them for dolls or robots), arrived after a while, a tray of needles and more wheeled besides them. They fixed the needles before plunging them through his skin and drawing out the red liquid, "You know they'll kill you right?", he casually told them, watching the blood rise. "I'm only here for my job, if they break in I'm leaving". The doctor started pulling strands or his hair, along with some feathers. He winced, it hurt but not as much as the return of his bullet wound and wing bones. 

Explosions suddenly sounded, and Vanoss felt himself smile as gunshots rang out, "Well, seems like they broke in. I'd run if I were you", he told him lightly. The doctor looked outside, eyes widening in horror before he bolted. 

Brian limped on with Jonathan, who shot at the soldiers and men, or anyone in their way. They fell and toppled like dominos elaborately set up, (Come to think of it, he still hadn't shown Vanoss the one he had made as a child). "I'll hold them off", Brian took the gun from his grip and started shooting. Jonathan grimaced, looking at his keg, "You sure?".

"Dude", he could hear the smile in his voice, "It's just a bullet wound. I won't die. Now go save our owl!", he told him with a grin. The masked man grinned back and entered the room. His cerulean eyes caught sight of a familiar hybrid, "Hey."

"Hello", he worked on quickly undoing the restraints. Vanoss twisted his wrists and stretched his arms. Jonathan let him lean on him, noticing the gauze that had dotted red, "You came back", he stated, as if he couldn't believe it. Jonathan smiled, "I said I'd protect you, and earn the lost trust. I wasn't about to break that promise so soon", they walked out with Brian in tow, (Who had ruffled his hair affectionately and laughed along with them). 

Walking through the blood soaked halls that were so quiet one could hear a pin roll gave Vanoss a sense of Deja Vu. Just like the first time he had escaped. His naive mind had burst into joy at just feeling the wind and seeing the night sky filled with stars. And now he was ready to cry from just seeing the group of people that had saved him. 

Maybe he wasn't so worthless, he wasn't just a hybrid to them, and that was enough. 

* * *

"What're you doing Lui? You better hurry the fuck up before the government comes to check in. They're not gonna like the blood festival we threw in here", Tyler tapped his foot impatiently. "Do you wanna try hacking into every place to find his files and delete them?", Lui shot back sarcastically. 

"No."

"Didn't think so."

Marcel and his group returned empty handed, only guns in hands, "She got away using her men as meat sacks. Pretty harsh if you ask me", Scott shrugged. David scanned the cameras and noticed a blonde woman with about ten or fifteen men around her, "Found her. She's in the 10C". Marcel shook his head, "That door's locked, it wouldn't even budge. 

Tyler sighed and dragged David and Ryan with him, "We'll try open the door. The rest of you who can move can scout a safe path to our entrance. In other words, Anthony, Delirious and Basically, go". Marcel grumbled, "Alright we get it", he trudged out with Anthony and Jonathan. "Wait, take me with you. I wanna see something", Jonathan glanced back, before taking his arm again.

"I'll go with Vanoss, and you two scout the exit". They parted ways, and the two walked in comfortable silence. The drops of blood echoed like an ostinato, repeating and repeating as they arrived. The dark haired hybrid pulled himself away from the masked man, and limped over to the computer, "What're you doing?", Jonathan asked, curious. 

"I wanna find out about my parents, and my name", he replied, scourging through the files. He clicked on more things before the printer came to life. The dull whir of the printer lasted a few seconds, and Vanoss looked back fondly at the woman's kind smile on the screen before walking away with the info in hand, "I'm done."

They returned to Lui, who gave released a big breath and collapsed onto the chair, "Finally. I'm done". 

"What were you doing?", Brock asked with a furrowed brow, He tried following, but his eyes got lost around five minutes into the process. Brock wasn't much of a hacker, and neither was Brian who never had any interest in what was happening, entertaining himself witht he cameras instead. "I deleted all of Vanoss's files, so hopefully the government will forget about you and stop chasing you. It'll be hard to keep a low profile with large wings, but you'll be taking abnormal jobs from now on, so don't worry too much about that part", Lui explained. 

He nodded, a small smile making its way onto his face, "Thank you."

"No problem", Lui replied sincerely. 

"Wait, she's doing something... What the fuck!? Did she just pull out some wizard shit or something?! The wall opened!", Brian commentated on what he saw. Lui looked over and cursed, "Damn. I was hoping we could get rid of her now". H eishged, before speaking into the walkie talkie, "Wildcat, come back. They've escaped."

"Fuck man, I really wanted to get rid of that bitch", the intercom grumbled in his ear. 

"Alright let's leave".

* * *

The helicopter ride was joyous. He got pats and cheers from the group, and finally felt the adrenaline drained from his body. They arrived home and all practically collapsed into their own things.

"Jonathan?", said man looked from his book, "What is it?". Vanoss looked at the sheet in his hands, "My name, is Evan". Jonathan smiled, "Alright Evan. It's nice name."

"Thanks", he smiled, before collapsing onto his bed and falling fast asleep. 


	12. The new norm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic kind of represents the crew's bond before, and the only thing is Mini Lads who had just left. They have a strong bond and they're currently great friends, but my next fic I guess will kind of tackle what's happening from the veeyr begging to the very end, and that's why I was hoping to finish this fic quickly.

The wind was but a gentle breeze that ruffled his hair and passed through his mask. Cars far below him drive on the concrete roads, leaving small smoke trails and the hum of engines to echo miles out. He took of his mask and allowed the wind to hit his pale skin.

A figure in the distance glided over, wings flapping a little as he came closer. The wind pick up a little as Evan slowly lowered himself, wings flapping and blowing a strong gust of wind his way.

Jonathan got up and smiled. It felt nostalgic to see Evan in such a way. The complete opposite of when they had first met. He looked at the man who now had a much more serious face, muscles hidden under his familiar clothing.

He wore shades to hide his maroon eyes from the sun as when he flew, since the burning ball of flames was much closer in the sky. It felt surreal to see Evan fly after everything they had gone through, but it was also nice.

"You're always last despite having wings. I don't understand", he narrowed his eyes judgingly in a joking manner. The winged man nudged him with a smile, "Give me a break, I'm still new these wings."

"You've had then since birth", the cerulean eyed ravenette pointed out amusingly. Evan grimaced in mild annoyance, "I'm still new to _using_ these wings. It's only been about... Two years I think", he counted on his fingers.

"Yeah. Doesn't really feel like eight years have passed since then", he commented. The hybrid nodded, a fond shine on his eyes. They walked together towards the door where the coloured lights were flashing brightly. Music blasting through, aromas of food and drinks filling the room.

Jonathan brought a hand to Evan's shoulder and hooked it over, dragging him down with a laugh as the others were either drinking doing dumb things. Evan returned the gesture as he downed another glass.

They all cheered for Lui who had an amused smoke and birthday hat. The man relented and blew the candles, "See Evan? That's blowing out candles", Tyler had drunkenly shouted towards him.

"Really? Wow! I didn't know", Evan shot back, just as if not more drunk, (His tolerance wasn't as good as the others since he had still been quite new to the substance). The group laughed, and Lui didn't think he could happier after all that had happen.

Brief flashes of a hand and snark of a familiar face passed his eyes, blood dripping from his mouth and bruises painting his arms. The kazoos made him smile, memories forgotten in his joy.

_I couldn't be happier in this world._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all of you who stuck by me and rea this trash. I really hope you enjoyed it, and I hope you were all able to come to this when you were sad or hurt.
> 
> Thank you all again for your support! :D


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